


Hell Is Where the Heart Is

by rowdyruffbutch



Category: Powerpuff Girls
Genre: Angels, Demons, F/M, Gen, The Powerpuff Girls, i actually really think this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-16
Updated: 2018-10-16
Packaged: 2019-08-02 19:41:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16311488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rowdyruffbutch/pseuds/rowdyruffbutch
Summary: Buttercup is an Angel who doesn't quite fit into Heaven's "perfect" Guardian Angel box. She believes she's wasting her time trying to save the souls who pass through Heaven. When she makes yet another mistake the Professor- also known as God- literally grounds her by sending her down to Earth where she will stay until she learns to care about someone other than herself. Something Buttercup has a hard time believing is possible.Butch is a Demon who takes things too far. He thinks all humans are unworthy of Heaven's peace (he believes they all belong in Hell) and torments them. When he breaks a rule, Him, one of Butch's parents and ruler of Hell, has no choice but to punish him by putting him on Earth. He won't be allowed back until he finds someone he believes is worthy of Heaven. It's a task Butch thinks will be impossible to complete.Will they ever get home? Or will they have to spend the rest of eternity on Earth? Only time will tell.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote a version of this fic two years ago but decided that version wasn't good enough and scratched most of it and started over. This is the new, revamped, hopefully improved version of what I tried to write in 2016.
> 
>  
> 
> If you want to read that not so good, kind of awful version I can I link it you to but it's only on my tumblr

Humans think they know what Heaven is like. They think it's some magical world where all of their troubles vanish. A place where they will live the rest of their eternal spiritual life peacefully. Well, those humans are right. Every human that believes in Heaven gets the version of it that they've always dreamed of... Eventually. Humans think they're entitled to a spot in Heaven simply for living out a full life on Earth but that's not how it works. Sometimes even devoting their entire lives to God won't get them through those gates. When the body dies, the soul is sent to Saint Peter who then decides where it's going: Heaven, Limbo, or Hell. A human could commit their entire lives to God and could still end up in Limbo. Even end up in Hell. How that was decided Buttercup didn't know but she also didn't give a shit.

Buttercup was an Angel. Even if she wanted to know— which she did not— no one would tell her. What she did know, however, is if those silly little souls get to come to this pretty world she lives in they get assigned a Guardian Angel like herself. Everyone on Earth has one but they get a different one up in Heaven and if those humans valued their souls, they had better be praying to whatever God they believe in that they don't get assigned to Buttercup.

The ones who got assigned to her sisters, Blossom and Bubbles, were the luckiest souls of all. They were sweet and patient with them while Buttercup, on the other hand, was... not the kindest of Guardian Angels. Her father— Professor as they liked to call him or God as humans referred to him but whose name was actually John Utonium— liked to say that if He hadn't created as Angel, if she had been born on Earth as a human, she would have gone to Hell when she died. This used to hurt her but she had heard it so many times that it no longer mattered to her what He thought. She knew she was terrible at her job and she wondered why her father just kept assigning her to soul duty.

As a Guardian Angel her job was to lead them through tasks in something they called the "Path of Goodness" to rid the souls of all sins. Yes, passage to Heaven may be granted even if there were sins attached to the soul. They must be cleansed first and that is what the Path does. Of course, only small sins are allowed. No one who has harmed another human or beings of other kind in a drastic way— on purpose— are permitted to enter. For example: no one who has murdered simply because they wanted to murder would be allowed to just waltz right in. No, those souls would be going somewhere else.

Even though she hated Heaven, she wouldn't give up her halo for anywhere else. Heaven was better than Earth, better than Limbo, even better than Hell. She would, however, would give up her halo to not have to guide the human souls through the Path of Goodness. She had tried being patient, didn't work. She tried to yell orders at them, that didn't work either. Human souls too days to finish it. Sometimes weeks, months, or even years! Dog and cat spirits could run through it in no time but humans? _Years!_ It was a miracle to her that humans could get any tasks done down on Earth. Human souls irritated her to no end so it was no surprise to anyone that she would be the impatient, mean, bossy Angel that she was. And so, when one of her souls got lost in the Path of Goodness today, she left him there to figure it out on his own. The other Angels were not shocked by her actions.

Buttercup wasn't shocked either when Clara, another Angel, came to tell her that God wanted to speak to her. She told her that her sisters had found the poor soul she left alone wandering aimlessly and as expected they flew straight away to tell God what she had done. So she took her sweet time flying back home and when she entered His office both of her sisters were still there- one on either of His sides. Buttercup stood in front of them while her father scolded her for being so irresponsible. His speech was always the same: 'You are so careless, Buttercup! You're a selfish, mean, intolerable Angel! Why can't you be more like your sisters?' She was reciting it in her head as he spoke.

"This is not the first time you've treated a soul this way, Buttercup," He said.

"I'm sorry but they are all so clumsy and slow! They don't listen when I speak or when I tell them what to do," She explained.

"It's not your job to tell them what to do. You are supposed to guide them in their journey not just shout answers at them! They need to find the end of the Path on their own to be reincarnated into a better, stronger spirit and live among the Angels! You have to teach them, Buttercup, or they will either end up in Limbo or become bitter and go to Hell. All you have done is boss them around."

"I don't care if they finish The Path or not, Professor! I just want to get the job done. I don't care about the souls you've brought here! I do not care if their reincarnations end up in Hell or Limbo. It is their own fault for not following my directions."

"All she cares about is herself, Professor," Blossom pointed out as if it weren't already obvious. "She would let an innocent soul go to Hell so she can be alone and relax."

"Blossom, please." He massaged His temples and shut His eyes as He agreed to what Blossom had said, "She is right, Buttercup. You only care about what happens to you and not the poor souls who travel through here. I'm sorry, my daughter, but I will have to punish you."

Buttercup rolled her eyes. "What? Am I getting sent to my room again?"

"No. This time I am sending you to Earth. You will be stripped of your Angel powers, your wings will be taken, and your halo will go out when your feet touch the Earth's soil."

"You're _grounding_ her?" Bubbles asked in a soft voice.

"Yes, Bubbles. She will literally be grounded."

"For how long?" She questioned.

The Professor looked at Buttercup. "Until she learns to care for someone more than herself. Then, and only then, will she be allowed to come back to Heaven."

"Professor! That's so unfair! That could take forever! Please don't make me do this!" She begged.

He banged His fist on this desk. His voice was like thunder as He spoke, "My word is final!"

"Fine." She frowned and crossed her arms over her chest.

The Professor's face softened. "Get your things, dear. You will be staying with Ms. Bellum."

—

Buttercup felt the warmth of her halo fading the closer she got to Earth. She had to use those Heavenly stairs to get down because her father had taken her wings. She would get them back... One day. One day soon she hoped. She sighed, watching the staircase disappear back into the clouds. She said goodbye to her old home, turned around, and said hello to her new one. Buttercup took her time going up the long front steps leading to Ms. Bellum's house. It was a bigger house than most homes belonging to the other Guardian Angels on Earth but, then again, Ms. Bellum was no ordinary Guardian Angel. She had hundreds of humans to watch over. Buttercup didn't know how she did it. She couldn't even take care of one! Perhaps that's why God had sent her to Ms. Bellum. He could have placed her in any other home but if anyone could teach her to care for someone as much as she cared about herself it was Ms. Bellum.

She hadn't even reached the door when she heard Ms. Bellum shouting in excitement, "Buttercup, you're finally here!"

Buttercup smiled at her and quickened her pace, trying not to seem like she'd rather not be here. She was pulled into the house and into a tight hug before she could say anything at all.

"How I've missed you! Welcome!"

"I've missed you too, Ms. Bellum! I really wish we weren't meeting under these circumstances or meeting here on Earth."

"Oh, Earth isn't all that bad! Come on, I'll show you to your room." She followed her through the halls. This place sure wasn't Heaven but it came pretty damn close. When they reached the room that was meant for her, she was surprised that there was only one bed. There was only one of everything: One dresser, one closet, and one desk.

Buttercup looked at Ms. Bellum. "I don't have to share?"

"Of course not, silly. Does God still make you share a room with your sisters?"

"I share with the lower level Guardians. He says I'm not allowed to have my own room because I have to earn it. Says I'm a bad Angel."

Ms. Bellum frowned. She placed a gentle hand on her cheek and gave her a small smile. "You're not a bad Angel, honey. You're... a bit misguided. But you are not bad."

"I guess." She turned away, dropping her luggage on the floor, and took a few steps before letting herself fall down on her new bed.

"I made dinner. You can come down into the dining room when you're ready to eat."

"Angels don't have to eat," She reminded her.

"Angels in _Heaven_ don't have to eat, you're on Earth and have no Angel powers. That makes you as human as anyone else. You have to eat."

She groaned, "Great."

"Listen, honey," She started, "I know it's going to be hard but it'll be okay. Maybe you'll meet someone unexpected and care for them tomorrow at school."

"School?!" She shouted, sitting up.

"Yes, school. You look about seventeen and seventeen year olds go to school. If anyone asks how you're related to me, tell them I'm your Godmother."

"Ironic." She muttered and stood up. She made her way to the door. "I've never eaten before."

Ms. Bellum grinned. "Well, then, let's go try it out."

—--

"This is the last time, Butch! You are reckless and you don't listen to a word I say! I have no choice but to ground you!" Him, the literal Devil, shouted.

"Pfft, I'll just go to my room then." Butch turned to leave but stopped when Him chuckled.

"Oh no, my son, I'm _grounding_ you."

"You can't be serious! I can't stay up there!" He protested.

"And why not?" They asked. "You spend plenty of time up there already."

"Yeah but I've never spent more than a day there! I can't stand the humans, Him! They're awful! All of them! Who will I even stay with while I'm there? There is nowhere for me to be!"

He couldn't spend more than a few minutes with those horrible creations without feeling the need to damn them all to Hell. All humans were horrible. They went to war with each other for the stupidest reasons, killed each other all the time, and they still expected to go to Heaven! They didn't deserve Heaven! They deserved a place where they would burn for the rest of their eternal spiritual life! Every last being on Earth- excluding the beautiful animals being forced to coexist with those disgusting humans- were unworthy of living a peaceful life. Butch hated human souls. They were all so entitled and whiny.

That's why he spent hours up on Earth tormenting them with his demon powers. Possessing them and making their lives miserable. He made them afraid of their own shadows. That was his job as Demon, wasn't it? To make people afraid? To make them suffer? To torture them? He was only doing his job but did that make his father proud? No! They were only ever proud of his brothers, Boomer and Brick. Even though they were just as cruel to the humans as he was! Him believed that to be a good Demon, he had to know which humans deserved Hell and which ones did not. Butch believed they all did.

"Silence!" The flames around them rose and shined brighter with their order. The souls screamed out in unison from the rise in temperature.

They calmed down and so did the fire. "You will stay with Mojo and you will not come back until you meet someone you don't deem worthy of eternal damnation!"

"Him, I—"

"I said silence, Butch! My word is final! Now go pack. You leave in the morning."

—

'Key is under the mat. Let yourself in' That's what the note on Mojo's front door said. Butch scoffed and grabbed the key. He didn't need to ask anyone where his bedroom was. He used to visit with his brothers when they were kids and they always slept in the same room. When he was younger he never questioned how a monkey and the Devil had three Demon babies but now he couldn't think of how they would even remotely work. Asking was not an option. That would either confuse him or gross him the fuck out anyway so he didn't feel the need to know.

He threw his luggage onto the bed and plopped down next to it. He stared up at the ceiling. "How the fuck am I supposed to find a human worthy of Heaven?"

"Butch?" He heard someone ask. He leaned back on his elbows and saw a woman standing in the doorway- clipboard in one hand and a backpack in the other. She wore a pink suit and had white hair. He recognized her instantly even with that so-called disguise. She dropped the backpack by the door and came closer, extending her arm out towards him.

She smiled and introduced herself, "I'm Ima Goodelady. You can call me Ms. Goodelady."

He almost laughed. "Ms. Goodelady? Not going by Sedusa anymore, huh?"

She quickly pulled her hand away from him as if his words had burned her. She held the clipboard up to her chest with crossed arms. 'Ms. Goodelady' cleared her throat and too a step back. "Your father told me you would be arriving today. How was the trip? Did you have a hard time getting here?"

"I had to travel through Earth's layers- some of which are thick crusts made of rock- to get here" He explained. "Of course I had a hard time."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "No one likes a smartass, Butch."

He smirked. "You seem to like Mojo Jojo's smartass. Or is there another reason why you're pretending to be his secretary? We all know what you're really doing, Sedusa."

There was a hissing sound coming from her direction but we both ignored it. She made her way out of his room and picked up the backpack as she spoke, "I've been instructed to take you to school. Your father won't be back until very late."

"School?! I can't go to school! I'm a Demon!"

"In Hell you may be a Demon but _on Earth_ you're a teenager. That means you go to school like every other normal teenager."

"I'm not normal."

"Believe me, I know" She said, tossing the bag to him and hitting him in the face with it. "School starts in twenty minutes. Pack up the school supplies I left for you on the desk and be downstairs in five."

—

"I'll meet you back here right after school. Don't be late," Sedusa told him.

"I'm 1,000 years old. I think I can get home alone, Sedusa."

Her grip on the steering wheel tightened. "It's Ms. Goodelady," She said through gritted teeth.

"Whatever," He mumbled, pulling himself out of the car. He slammed the door and made his way towards the school. He tried avoiding the watchful, curious eyes of all the other students. There were two reasons why he knew he'd never blend in effortlessly: 1) He was arriving in the middle of the year. There was no mistaking that he was a new kid and 2) Someone as devilishly handsome as himself couldn't not attract the eyes of so many impressionable, easily corruptible young souls. His beauty was a curse. A wonderful curse he was willing to bare.

"Butch!" He groaned at the sound of Sedusa's voice. He spun around to see what Sedusa wanted when someone ran right into him. The skin on his arm burned from the impact.

"Watch it, asshole!" He looked into glaring emerald eyes. Well, one eye. The other was hidden under a mess of black hair. He glowered back at her and when he didn't get out of her way she shouldered past him.

He followed her with his eyes and mumbled, "Bitch."

She turned back to him, lifted her hand, and gave him the finger. She took a few steps back, mouthing the words "fuck you" at him, before spinning around and marching off.

Butch opened his mouth to say something but Sedusa reached him before he could. She shoved the backpack into his chest and frowned. "Don't fight the humans."

"I can't promise anything." He scowled as his eyes landed on the back of that girl's head. "Especially if I get a class with that one."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sedusa cleared her throat and pulled him away from his thoughts. "How was school?"
> 
> "Fine," He said through a mouthful of lasagna.
> 
> "Please don't talk with food in your mouth," She scolded.
> 
> "Whatever."
> 
> "Did you get into anymore arguments?"
> 
> "Nope," He lied.
> 
> "Good. How are your classes?"
> 
> "Dumb." There was a pause. Silence. Clanking. Earth was much too quiet for Butch's liking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you want to know a secret? I've never had lasagna. So is Sedusa's lasagna good? I wouldn't actually know.

"Good morning, class!" A cheerful voice greeted. A chorus of students lazily replying with groans followed. Buttercup watched as the person she assumed to be their teacher walked over to her desk and sat down. She was smiling widely while she looked over a piece of paper.

"Oh!" The girl sitting in the desk beside Buttercup– who had been dozing off– jumped at the sound of her loud voice. "Looks like we have a couple of new students today! How wonderful! Buttercup Bellum? Where are you?"

She raised her hand. "Here."

"Hello, Buttercup! I'm Ms. Green, lovely to meet you! Welcome to Townsville High!" She kept smiling as she turned back at the paper. Her smile had faltered as she spoke, "Butch? Where's Butch?"

The door swung open just as she asked. In walked a boy with a crooked grin and dark hair. She recognized him immediately as the idiot who ran into her this morning. He noticed her too and shot a glare at her before turning his attention back on Ms. Green. She narrowed her eyes slightly at him when she caught sight of him. He strode towards the empty seat behind Buttercup as he said, "Right here, teach!"

"Okay, well," Ms. Green said, "I won't count this tardy, seeing as how it's your first day, but please do not be late to my class again."

"Sure thing, miss..."

"Green. Ms. Green." She looked over the class, that friendly smile returning as she did so. "Well! It's nice to meet you both and I'm sure we'll have a heckuva time together!"

"Doubt it," Butch scoffed. Buttercup rolled her eyes.

"Romeo and Juliet!" Ms. Green exclaimed, making the girl beside Buttercup jump again. She grabbed two books from the stack on top of her desk and handed them to the person in the front of their row of desks. She continued, "We've been reading this play since the start of the week so the two of you are a little behind but that's okay. You can catch up together since you'll be partners for the project as well and–"

"Wait, what?" Butch interrupted. "There's no way I'm being her partner! I'd rather stab myself in the eye!"

"Hand me the knife. I'll stab you in the eye for you," Buttercup snarled.

"You see?! She'll kill me!" He gestured to her with an extended arm, "She's a crazy bitch!"

Buttercup reached for the books being passed back to her. She took his and threw it at his head. Some students stifled their giggles. He glared at her and she scowled back him. "You're the crazy asshole who can't watch where the fuck they're going."

"Maybe," He said, leaning forward in his seat, "if you weren't the size of an actual child, people wouldn't run into you."

"Fuck you!"

"Only if you ask nicely, Peanut Butter."

She gasped, "You're disgusting!"

"Yeah, well–!"

"Silence!" Ms. Green bellowed. They both went stiff as her voice echoed in the room. It reminded Buttercup of the way her Father's voice sounded when He yelled. She looked back at her and her face was no longer friendly. Her sweet smile had turned into a sour frown, her eyes narrowed at them. She composed herself and cleared her throat before speaking again, "I apologize for raising my voice. I see that you don't seem to like each other very much but you will have to work together to get this project done or you will fail the semester."

"Can't we work on our own?" He asked.

Ms. Green shook her head. "I'm sorry but no. You can't. If I let you work alone I'll have to let other students do it too and most of them have already begun on their projects. It wouldn't be fair."

He groaned and mumbled, "Helluva a way to torture someone."

Buttercup rolled her eyes.

—

It took longer to find the cafeteria than it did to find him in it. She spotted him sitting alone at a table at the far end, near the exit. She made her way over to him and when she reached him other students had joined him. They had filled every seat except for the one right beside him. She quickly took it before anyone else could. The group of boys that had all filled the empty seats around him went quiet for a moment. They spared a few glances at her before starting up their conversations again but she could still feel some of their eyes on her. She paid them no attention and she didn't care that she had any of theirs. At this moment, the only person she wanted attention from was Butch.

She stared at him until he finally noticed her. He looked at her from the corner of his eye and talked with a mouth full of food, "What? You didn't get enough of me in English?"

She snatched the plastic spork from his hand and held it up. "This isn't a knife but how much do you want to bet that I can still stab you in the eye with it?"

"Calm down." He swallowed the mush of meatloaf– or whatever gross thing the school was passing off as meat– and faced her. "What do you want, Peanut Butter?"

"It's Buttercup," She said through gritted teeth.

"Uh-huh," He barely acknowledged. He held out his hand and she dropped the spork into his palm. He shoved another spork full of mushy "meat"loaf into his mouth. "Just tell me what you want already, Butterball. I don't want to talk to you anymore than I have to."

"I talked to Ms. Green about the project and she said we don't get time to work on it in class so we're going to have to work on it at my house."

"What makes you think I'd want to go to your house?"

"Well," She said, following him as he stood and walked away, "I didn't think you'd want me at your place and I don't want to be seen with you in public."

Butch dumped his leftover food into the trash and placed his tray on a ledge for the lunch workers. He sighed, "Alright, Peanut Butter, since you're clearly set on working at your place and I certainly don't want you finding out where I live– in case you try to kill me in my sleep– I guess I could make the sacrifice."

"God, you're so annoying. You know that?"

"As much as you know it." He turned on his heels to go and she followed him again. He walked out of the cafeteria and into the hall before he realized she was still there. He turned back to her. "What?"

"You need my address. How else are you supposed to find my house?"

"Oh. Right," He nodded.

Buttercup reached into her bag to find a notebook. She flipped to an empty page and felt around her in her bag for a pen. She couldn't find one and she was about to ask him for one when she saw his hand in front of her, holding a pen. She took it without a word and wrote down her address, ripped out the paper, and handed it to him, "Here. Come by tomorrow after school and don't lose that because I'm not going to give it to you again."

He folded the sheet into a small square and stuffed into his pocked. She held out his pen for him to take back but he shook his head. "Keep it. It's got all your germs on it now anyway."

"You act like such a child," She insulted him as he left.

"At least I'm not as short as one!" He called back.

—

Buttercup sank onto the sofa in Ms. Bellum's living room. Although, she supposed it was hers now too since she would be living here for a while. She relaxed, enjoying the quiet peacefulness of her new home. Earth was much too loud for her. There was always something making noise: birds, crickets, cars, planes and– of course– humans. Heaven was a tranquil, nearly noiseless place. Angels like Buttercup who had lived their whole lives there could never imagine just how loud Earth was. She certainly hadn't thought it could have been this loud. Ms. Bellum told her it was only because she wasn't used to it but she would and when she did, it wouldn't seem as quiet as Heaven. Buttercup was uncertain that could ever be true.

She took in a deep breath and smelled the Jasmine tea Ms. Bellum must have been making in the kitchen. She dragged herself to her feet and made her way into the kitchen where she found her sipping tea while flipping through a magazine. She waited for her to notice her.

"Would you like a cup of tea, sweetie?" She asked when she did. Her smile was bright and happy. As always. Buttercup smiled but she doubted hers was as bright but, still, she tried.

She nodded and took the seat at the end of the table, the one adjacent to Ms. Bellum. She watched as she poured some tea into a small, delicate cup with a pretty floral design and placed milk and honey near her in case she needed it. She took a spoonful of honey and stirred it into the tea. The faint ringing sound of the spoon running along the edge of the cup caught her attention and she focussed on it to drown out any other faint sounds going on. She kept stirring and making the sound until Ms. Bellum spoke again, snapping her out of her little trance.

"How was your first day of school? Did you make any new friends?"

"I though human souls were annoying when they were dead but they're slightly more annoying when they're alive. So, no, I didn't make any new friends."

"That's okay," She reassured her. "You'll find someone soon! How were your classes? Were your teachers nice?

"Mhm," She hummed, taking a sip of her tea before saying, "Most of my classes were okay and my teachers were nice. There was this one kid who literally ran into me this morning and he tried to act like it was my fault. I hoped that I wouldn't have to see him for the rest of the day but we have English together and he's very annoying."

"If he's really that bad then you should avoid him."

"I can't. We got paired up to do an English project so I have to tolerate him enough to get a good grade. He's supposed to come over later tomorrow so we can work on it."

Ms. Bellum placed her hand gently on top of hers. "It will all be alright, sweetie. Maybe you just got off on the wrong foot and he's actually not that bad."

"I doubt that."

"Well," She sighed. "You'll find out tomorrow but now it's time for me to start making dinner and for you to start homework! Off you go, missy!"

Buttercup groaned but made herself stand anyway and go out into the living room, tea cup in hand. She pulled out a stack of books from her bookbag and started on math. It was only about an hour later when Ms. Bellum called her for diner and when they were done, they cleaned up the kitchen, washed up the dishes, and walked back out into the living room where Buttercup finished her homework and Ms. Bellum continued flipping through her magazine. The sun was setting by the time she finished all of her homework and it was dark when she stepped out of the bathroom after her shower.

"Good night, honey," Ms. Bellum said, standing in the doorway.

"Good night, Ms. Bellum."

She smiled at her before reaching for her door and closing it as she left. Buttercup tucked herself into her bed, closed her eyes, and tried to ignore the loud sounds of Earth. All she wanted was one good night's rest and if that's all she ever got from Earth then she would be grateful for it.

—--

Out of the 1,000 years Butch has been alive he can't quite remember the last time either of his parents paid him much of any attention. Him only noticed him when he was breaking the rules and after they divorced his father, Mojo was never around. He hasn't seen his sons in over 900 years and now that one of them was here, on Earth, Butch thought he might have at least showed up for dinner. But, of course, he hadn't. Don't get him wrong, Butch understood that both of his parents were very busy people. Seeing as how one of them was the Devil and the other was an immortal monkey CEO of an evil corporation trying to take over the world.

He completely understood. He understood very well that they had very little time to worry or even care much about their three sons. Especially care about him. He had learned a long time ago that Brick was the favorite and that Boomer was the golden child. Butch was just... Butch. He didn't care though. The less attention he got, the more havoc he could wreak. Therefore, if Mojo Jojo wanted to avoid him until he went back to Hell, so be it. He didn't care. He was fine with it but did he have to leave him with Sedusa?

They were having an awkward dinner, sitting on either end of the table as far away from each other as possible. The silence between them was only filled with the clanking of the metal forks against the porcelain dishes. He followed the green lines of the intricate design painted around the edges and wondered when exactly Sedusa had moved in. His parents have been divorced for a long, long time and the fact that Mojo Jojo had moved on didn't bother him in the slightest. It didn't even bother him that he was dating Sedusa of all people because being immortal, the dating pool was quite small. Mojo couldn't risk falling in love with a mortal because they'd die and he'd end sad and alone. Him had made him immortal for that specific reason; they didn't want Mojo to die and leave them alone. Him let him stay immortal after the divorce because they had three kids. Sedusa was immortal for different reasons but immortal nonetheless.

Sedusa cleared her throat and pulled him away from his thoughts. "How was school?"

"Fine," He said through a mouthful of lasagna.

"Please don't talk with food in your mouth," She scolded.

"Whatever."

"Did you get into anymore arguments?"

"Nope," He lied.

"Good. How are your classes?"

"Dumb." There was a pause. Silence. Clanking. Earth was much too quiet for Butch's liking.

"Do you like the food?" She asked after a while.

"It's alright but I've never eaten food before coming here so I couldn't really tell you if it was good or not." He slid the plate away from him and the sound made Sedusa look up at him.

"Are you done? You can go to your room if you want."

"I was unaware that I needed your permission for that."

She frowned. "Your father put me in charge while he's away and yes, you need my permission to be excused from the table. Just like you need my permission to go anywhere else. Him and Mojo have told me that I need to know exactly where you are at all times."

"Whatever, Sedusa," He said. He heard a muffled hissing coming from her direction but ignored it as stood up and marched up to his room. He sat his desk, pulled out a stack of books from his bookbag, and stared at his homework. He looked away when he heard Sedusa in the hall. He got up and shut his door, turned around, glanced between his homework and the bed, and decided homework could be left undone. He wouldn't be here long enough for it to matter anyway, right?

He flopped onto his bed, squirmed out of his jeans, and crawled under the covers. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on a sound. Any sound. Earth was too quiet. There was never enough noise. Hell was always full of screaming souls, the rumbling of Earthquakes above them, and volcanic eruption around them. All Earth had was birds, crickets, cars, planes, and humans. The loudest place he had been to was the cafeteria. All those humans chatting away without a care in the world wasn't pleasant but the noise, although still not loud or tortured enough, was better than the quiet that filled the classrooms and the halls.

Butch closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on something that could make him feel like he wasn't drowning in silence. All he wanted was a good night's sleep but he doubted he would ever get that here.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ms. Bellum gasped when Butch met her eyes. The watering can in her hand clattered to the ground. Water splashed onto Butch's shoes before it flooded out and pooled around their feet. She stared at him with wide eyes as she stumbled backwards— crashing into the chair behind her.
> 
> "Ms. Bellum!" Buttercup exclaimed. "Are you all right?"
> 
> She sidestepped the chair and moved back. There was a shocked, horrified expression on her face. Buttercup shot a glance at Butch and saw he was just as confused as she felt. They watched Ms. Bellum take slow and careful steps towards the door, her eyes never leaving him or Buttercup. She met his eyes again and forced a smile to curl her lips when her hand fell on door handle but there was still such a frightened look in her eyes. Her grin widened when she turned her head to look at Buttercup.

Buttercup stepped through the doors leading to the back of the house and sat in one of the chairs by the pool with her copy of Romeo and Juliet. She spotted Ms. Bellum a few feet away watering her flowers. Her father always gave his best Angels flowers. The better they were, the more flowers they got. Perhaps that was why Ms. Bellum's garden was full of them. She was the best after all. Everywhere she looked she saw flowers of all kinds: roses, dahlias, tulips, daisies. If Buttercup could name them then Ms. Bellum probably had them in her garden. She even had water lilies floating in the Koi pond in one of the four corners of her enormous backyard. Buttercup wondered if her father had gotten those for her too or if she had bought those on her own accord. She could see bright sunflowers near the back; they were tall and rising above the red peonies below them. Those were her sister's favorite.

Blossom had gotten a bouquet of red peonies and red roses from their father when her first soul finished the Path of Goodness. Her smile had been so wide and had lasted so long that Buttercup thought her face would get stuck that way forever. Bubbles had gotten one too after her first soul crossed over— pure and sinless— but her bouquet was made up of blue poppies and blue pincushion flowers instead of peonies and roses. Still, the bouquet made her just as happy as Blossom's had made her. Clara had gotten one soon after made up of purple flowers and it had made her so happy she cried. Buttercup watched Angel after Angel get bouquet after bouquet and she wondered why she wasn't good enough to get one.

She had tried to be good enough. In the beginning, anyway. She had tried very hard to get a hold on her temper and tried to patient. Buttercup had tried so hard to get at least one of her souls to finish but no one ever did. They were always complaining, always fighting her, always saying they could figure it out on their own until she couldn't take it anymore and started yelling orders at them. She stopped trying. She thought she just wasn't cut out to be a Guardian Angel. She wasn't like Blossom, Bubbles, or Clara and her Father knew it. That's why He never gave her a bouquet or even a single flower to at least let her know that He knew she was trying. She would have even settled for a petal. Anything to show her that He cared. But all she got were lectures and punishments and all He got in return were lost souls.

 _Who needs His stupid flowers anyway?_ Buttercup wondered to herself, opening up the book and picking up where she left off. _I could get my own bouquet if I wanted one. Earth's got plenty of flowers for me to choose from anyway._

"Buttercup!" Ms. Bellum greeted once she spotted her. She looked up from the play and smiled at her as she made her way over. The floppy brim of her red hat bounced a little on her head with every step she took.

"Your garden is a lot bigger than I remember," Buttercup said when she took a seat across from her.

Her smile was wide and bright as she took off her hat and shook her hair. "Oh, yes! Your Father sure does love to give out flowers."

"Hmm," She hummed, turning her attention back to Romeo.

 _'Did my heart love till now?'_ She read and rolled her eyes at him. _How quickly you've forgotten Rosaline, Romeo. Humans... Always falling in and out of love as if it were a game._

Ms. Bellum's voice pulled her attention back to her. She looked up and found her waiting for her to say something but she had no clue what she had said. "I'm sorry. What?"

"Flowers, sweetheart. Which ones are your favorite?"

"Oh, um," She thought and looked around at her garden. None of them really felt like they were meant for her. God always gave them the flowers that reminded Him of them and she didn't think any of the ones Ms. Bellum kept would remind Him of her. They all reminded her of her sisters and other Angels. All pretty and bright and kind. Buttercup wasn't pretty and bright. She wasn't kind. She looked back at Ms. Bellum, frowning at the thought that none of her flowers felt right for her, and shrugged. She seemed to understand and let the subject go.

"Wasn't your English partner supposed to come over today?" She asked.

"Yeah. He should be here any minute now," She said and, as if he had been summoned, the doorbell rang. She shot up from her seat, telling Ms. Bellum that she would get it, and walked through the house to get to the front door. She could hear Butch yelling at someone on the other side and when she opened the door to let him in she found him with his back to her, still yelling. She looked around him to see who he was screaming at.

She saw a woman sitting in the driver's seat of the parked car in front of her house, with the passenger's side window rolled down, shouting back at Butch, "Call me when you want me to come pick you up. You don't have a choice."

"Yes I do," He disputed. "I'd rather walk than ride in that car with you."

"I'm picking you up and that's final," The woman said. "Your father—"

"Okay!" Butch interrupted then continued to bark, "Just go the fuck away already, snakehead! You're on a break from babysitting duty!"

The woman narrowed her eyes at him. She spared a quick glance at Buttercup before turning her attention to the road and driving off. Buttercup stared at him for a moment when he faced her.

"Are you going to let me in, Peanut Butter?" He asked after a second too long of awkward silence. He leaned down a little, getting closer to her face, and whispered, "I know I'm the hottest thing you've probably ever seen but your staring is starting to get creepy."

"Who the fuck talks to their mom like that? You're such a shitty person."

He scowled at her and pulled away. "She's _not_ my mom. She's my dad's girlfriend but it's not really any of your business, is it? So why don't you just stay the hell out of it and worry about our stupid English project instead?"

"Fine," She huffed.

"Fine."

He followed her through the living room and the dining room, out the door, and onto the patio. He sat quietly across from her and Buttercup looked over his shoulder to see Ms. Bellum pruning some of her roses. She wondered if introducing him to her would be the correct human behavior but she decided that she didn't care. Butch wouldn't be in her life long enough for her to bother Ms. Bellum with introductions and she wasn't human anyway. It didn't matter much at all if they met.

She looked back at Butch and saw him already reading his own copy of the play. She noticed the amount of pages on either side of where he held the book open then looked at her own book. She hadn't read as much as he had. She felt a tiny twinge guilt for thinking that he would be a lazy piece of shit and wouldn't pull his own weight for this project. That feeling was quickly washed away by the realization that she was the one not pulling her own weight. She frowned and quickly went back to reading but was interrupted shortly after.

"My parents made my brothers and I read this play when we were younger then they took us to see it at the theater," He said. "It didn't make much sense when I read it back then and it doesn't make any more sense now."

"Aww. Are you too dumb to understand what you're reading?" Buttercup taunted.

"If anyone here is too dumb to understand what we're reading," He glared at her from behind his book, "it's you. Seeing as how you're so far behind. I was only going to say that it's easier to understand the play when watched rather than read. I have it memorized, actually."

"You do not."

"I do so," He tapped his temple with his finger, "Photographic memory."

"I don't believe you."

"All right," He put the play down and looked at her, "try me. Read a line from the page you're on and I'll tell you what comes after it."

She narrowed her eyes at him before bringing her eyes down to the book to read the line, "' _Now, by the stock and honour of my kin, to strike him dead, I hold it not a sin?_ '"

He cleared his throat and closed his book. Then almost acted out the next line as if he really was performing it, "' _Why, how now, kinsman! Wherefore storm you so?_ '"

"Then Tybalt says..." Buttercup prompted.

" _'Uncle, this is a Montague, our foe, a villain that is hither come in spite, to scorn at our solemnity this night_.'" He replied and continued, changing his voice slightly to fit each character's lines, "' _Young romeo is it?_ ' ''tis he, that villain Romeo.' 'Content thee, gentle coz, let him alone; he bears him like a portly gentleman; and, to say truth, Verona brags of him to be a virtuous and'—"

"Okay," She held up her hand to stop him, "You proved your point but memorizing things isn't really a talent. Any idiot could do that."

"Even you?" He asked, smirking. She rolled her eyes and went back to reading, letting them fall back into silence.

It wasn't long before she saw Ms. Bellum's shadow being cast over the table and heard her sweet voice, "Honey, aren't you going to introduce me to your new friend?"

' _Friend_ '? Butch was hardly a friend. He was barely an acquaintance. Still, though, Buttercup put down the play to gesture to him and say, "Ms. Bellum, this is Butch. Butch, Ms. Bellum. She's my Godmother."

Ms. Bellum gasped when Butch met her eyes. The watering can in her hand clattered to the ground. Water splashed onto Butch's shoes before it flooded out and pooled around their feet. She stared at him with wide eyes as she stumbled backwards— crashing into the chair behind her.

"Ms. Bellum!" Buttercup exclaimed. "Are you all right?"

She sidestepped the chair and moved back. There was a shocked, horrified expression on her face. Buttercup shot a glance at Butch and saw he was just as confused as she felt. They watched Ms. Bellum take slow and careful steps towards the door, her eyes never leaving him or Buttercup. She met his eyes again and forced a smile to curl her lips when her hand fell on door handle but there was still such a frightened look in her eyes. Her grin widened when she turned her head to look at Buttercup.

"I'm fine, honey," She squeaked. She cleared her throat before speaking hurriedly, "I just remembered I have to call your father. It was very nice to meet you, Butch. Goodbye."

"Um, that was fucking weird," Butch said once Ms. Bellum had gone inside. "What the hell was wrong with her? She got my shoes wet."

"She probably just got scared by how ugly you are and wanted to see if you would melt."

"Oh!" Butch placed a hand over his chest and pretended to be hurt, "Your words wound me!"

"Whatever. I'm going to—"

The ringing of his phone cut her off. He fished it out of his pocket and didn't bother with a hello, "You can't even go 10 minutes without bothering me, can you? ...What? No. Of course I'm still here. Where else would I even go?"

Buttercup couldn't tell what the person on the other line was saying but she could tell it was a woman's voice. She sounded like the woman that dropped him off earlier. Her words were rushed and loud but she didn't sound angry. She sounded almost excited. He rolled his eyes as he listened. He kept the phone pressed against his ear as he grabbed his book and walked to the door. Butterup followed him through the house all while he stayed on the phone. They stopped when they reached the front door.

"Well if he wanted to see me he would show up when I'm actually at home, wouldn't he?" He groaned, "Fine! Whatever!"

"Uhh," Buttercup said when he hung up.

"My dad's girlfriend wants me to come home," He pulled the door open and stepped out, "Gotta go."

"Okay? See you at—"

Butch slammed the door behind him.

"School," She finished for no one to hear but herself. She sighed, "Great. We're never going to get this project done."

She was making her way back to the patio when she overheard Ms. Bellum talking in hushed tones, "You should have warned me about him."

 _Warned her about who?_ Buttercup wondered. She frowned. _Butch? Why should He have warned her about him? He's only human._

"Of course I didn't tell her. She thinks he's— What?" She interrupted herself and paused. It was quiet for a moment before Buttercup heard Ms. Bellum hang up the phone and her footsteps as she came around the corner. She smiled brightly at her when she came into the living room. She looked around the room and tilted her head up a bit to be able to see the patio.

"Are you okay?" Buttercup asked.

"Yes! I'm perfectly fine, sweetheart. Did your friend leave?"

"He had to go home. Something about his dad's girlfriend... What were you and dad talking about?"

"Oh nothing! Just about how you're doing. He wanted to know if you were close to finding someone to care about."

"I'm sure he already knows I haven't. He is God, after all. Anyway, I'm going to go do my homework," She said. "Are you sure you're okay, Ms. Bellum? You were kind of weird earlier. You looked like you saw a ghost."

She laughed awkwardly. "I'm okay, honey. You just go finish your homework and I'll let you know when dinner is ready, okay? Don't you worry! I just had a bit of a clumsy moment is all! "

"Okay," Buttercup said, unconvinced but she went back out to the patio anyway. She picked up Romeo and Juliet again and flipped to the page she was on. She read the lines Butch had recited and heard his voice in her head as she did so. Something she didn't find completely unpleasant.

—-

Buttercup slammed her book onto Butch's desk when she walked into class the next morning. The girl in the row over— who had been resting her head on her desk and was probably asleep— flinched and sat up quickly. She groaned before letting her head fall back onto the desk. Buttercup watched the girl curl her arms around her head to block the light and fall back asleep. Even humans couldn't get enough sleep in this noisy world.

"Yes?" Butch questioned, grabbing her attention.

"I finished it all last night! Every single word!" She said, poking the book on his desk.

His mouth curled into a crooked grin. "' _Speakest thou from thy heart_?'"

She blinked at him. "What?"

"I said," He picked up the book and held it out to her, smirk widening, "' _Speakest thou from thy heart?_ ' ...Do you know the next line?"

She narrowed her eyes at him and snatched the book out of his hand. She spun on her heels to sit at her desk. She opened the book and began to scan the pages for the line he'd recited.

"I hate you."

He laughed. "What else is new, Peanut Butter?"

She turned around in her seat, a scowl wrinkling her forehead and nose, ready to tell him if he didn't stop calling her that she would take the pencil on his desk and pierce his palms with it. All that left her mouth was a gasp. Butch's amusement faded into shock. His eyes went wide and his mouth fell open as he stared at her. She was sure she had the same look of disbelief on her face as she stared back at him.

"Halo," Butch whispered, looking at a spot right above her head.

"Horns," Buttercup whispered back.

Her gaze followed the curve of his horns from his forehead to the pointed ends before letting her eyes fall onto his wings. They were large and dark. Thin, almost sheer skin was webbed between the skeletal frame of the bones holding them together. There were no feathers. Instead they were covered in what looked to be fine, soft, black fur. They lied flat against his back and arched up to his ears. Tiny matching horns were at the tops of them. She wondered how big they were when he extended them if they were this huge when folded. She felt the urge to reach out and touch them but pushed away the thought and looked back his horns.

When their eyes met again he said, "This is new."


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Him— Satan, the Devil, my father, whatever— is punishing me for torturing, possessing, and overall just messing with humans 'too much'," He made air quotes with his fingers. She opened her mouth but, to stop her from talking, he continued, "Good ol' dad decided I'm not allowed to go back until I find someone I don't think belongs in Hell for all eternity."
> 
> "If your dad didn't want you torturing and possessing humans then why did they send you to Earth? You know, the only place humans live?" She asked. "Wouldn't that make it easier for you to 'mess' with them?"
> 
> ———

He slowly let his eyes trace the outline of her face to her neck where they caught sight of her wings— huge even as she held them folded against her back and sat at her desk. He followed the curve of them down to where they tapered off and the longest of her bright-white feathers bent back against the tile floor. When he looked up at her face again he noticed tiny flecks of gold sparkling in her emerald eyes and how those flecks danced under the light of her halo; they reflected every bit of light with every little movement of her eyes. He quickly settled his gaze back onto her wings when he saw hers shifting towards his face. His mind wandered as he studied the— seemingly— soft feathers and imagined how far they extended when she opened them. He wondered why someone with wings so tremendous was spending her time on the ground. Why was this Angel on Earth when she could be soaring through the clouds?

Butch knew very little about Angels. He knew they lived in Heaven, that they were good-hearted, that they protected human souls from Demons like him, and that they did not come to Earth for an education. So, what was Buttercup doing here? Had she rebelled against God? No. She couldn't have had. She would have ended up in Hell if she had. He had never seen an Angel before. He never ran into one in all the years he's been visiting Earth— the only place both Demons and Angels could travel to. The only time he ever saw an "Angel" was when they had already fallen from God's grace. When the feathers on their wings had already been singed by the fires of Hell. When their halos were being shattered by Him to rid them of the last bond they held with God. He had never seen an Angel like her. Wings pristine. Halo bright and whole. Glowing. She was glowing.

Him had said Angels were the most beautiful beings God had every created and right now, as Butch stared at Buttercup, he couldn't find a single reason to disagree. Maybe it was because of how radiant she looked under her halo or the the idea of how soft her feathers would feel on his fingertips but she was beautiful. He couldn't deny that no matter how much she annoyed him. Angels were really fucking beautiful. He would rather sooner burn in Hell than ever admit that out loud.

He was pulled from his thoughts when he saw movement from the corner of his eye. Butch saw the small, quick twitch of her arm as her hand reached for him. She must have done it involuntarily because she swiftly pulled her hand back to her side a second later. It happened so fast he thought he might have imagined it. After all, no Angel in their right mind would dare touch a Demon. Yeah. He had imagined it.

He gave her a small smile when their eyes met again and said, "This is new."

"You're a—"

"Demon, yeah, and you're one of those glorified pigeons living it up in the clouds."

"Glorified pigeon?!" She said through gritted teeth. She glared at him, took in a breath, and said, "If I'm a 'glorified pigeon' then you must be a dishonorable bat."

"Good one," He laughed insincerely. "I've felt worse burns in Hell. You're gonna have to do way better than that to hurt my feelings, Peanut Butter."

"For the last fucking time: it's Buttercup, you ungodly piece of shi— wait," She interrupted herself. Her scowl turned into confusion as her eyes darted around the room. Butch looked at the other students but she didn't know who she was looking for. No one was paying them any attention. He frowned.

"They don't see us," They said in unison. Their heads turned back to look at each other in surprise but moved on quickly.

"It's a trick," She declared.

"Played by who? Satan wouldn't bother. He wouldn't care."

"But _God_ would." She clarified and paused before asking, "Why wouldn't Satan care?"

He opened his mouth to speak but just then was when Ms. Green decided to walk in. She greeted them with a happy hello and everyone groaned back in response. Buttercup spun around to face forward and he tried to pay attention to the lesson but she was so distracting. Her wings somehow looked bigger from behind and he had spent half of class counting every single feather he could see. He lost count when she twisted in her seat to pass him a stack of papers. She placed her a hand on his desk as he took one of the papers for himself and passed the rest back. She waited for him to look at her then quickly looked between him and her hand before turning around. He blinked at the back of her head, confused, but when he looked down at where her hand used to be he found a torn piece of paper that read:

_Meet me at the park across the street after school. We'll talk about this then._

—

"Why wouldn't Satan care?" Buttercup repeated the question from earlier. He lifted his head from the picnic table he sat at and squinted up at her. He let his eyes adjust to the bright sunlight. His arms had been wrapped around his head like a cocoon and he had become accustomed to the darkness. The sun was almost blinding.

_Or maybe it's not the sunlight that's so blinding_ , He thought as his vision focused on her halo. Butch didn't think his eyes would ever adjust to the vibrant glare of that light. He sat up and looked at her.

"Your guess is as good as mine, Peanut Butter," He said, shrugging.

"That's the best answer you've got?"

"Better than anything you were expecting."

"Oh?" She raised a questioning eyebrow at him. "What do you think I was expecting?"

"For me to tell you the Devil had sent me here to drag you to Hell or to corrupt you enough that you could never go back to Heaven."

"And you aren't here to do that?"

"Do you think we would be here," He gestured to their surroundings with his hand, "if I was here to do that? No offense but my father isn't interested in corrupting you, Angel."

"Hmm," She thought. "Then why are you here?"

He smirked. "I'm being punished for being too good of a Demon."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Yeah, right, and I'm here because I was too good of an Angel."

"You sayin' you weren't a good Angel?" He sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth and shook his head. "Guess you don't need me to corrupt you after all."

"You're infuriating, you know that?" She asked, sitting down across from him.

"Oh, I know it, Angel Cake."

She groaned. "God. I think I liked 'Peanut Butter' better. Please just answer the question."

"Him— Satan, the Devil, my father, whatever— is punishing me for torturing, possessing, and overall just messing with humans 'too much'," He made air quotes with his fingers. She opened her mouth but, to stop her from talking, he continued, "Good ol' dad decided I'm not allowed to go back until I find someone I don't think belongs in Hell for all eternity."

"If your dad didn't want you torturing and possessing humans then why did they send you to Earth? You know, the only place humans live?" She asked. "Wouldn't that make it easier for you to 'mess' with them?"

"Can't exactly possess a human without any Demon powers, can I?"

"You don't have your powers?"

"Nope."

"Not even now?" Buttercup wondered. He saw her eyes flicker up at his horns. She nodded towards them. "Not even with those? You can't possess anyone?"

"Nah." He shook his head and sighed. "I kind of already tired. It didn't work. Guess they're just an illusion set up by the big guy upstairs."

"Is it an illusion? It feels like I really have my wings on my back but it being an illusion would explain why only we can see our wings and, um, head... accessories?"

Butch snorted. "You can say horns. It won't kill you, Peanut Butter."

"I doubt that those couldn't kill me."

"I didn't say they couldn't. They definitely could but saying the word 'horns' won't."

He saw her looking at them and she suddenly seemed so distant. As if her mind was somewhere else as she stared. He could see her eyes tracing the curve of them and, again, he saw her hand do the twitching motion he had seen her do earlier that day. He knew he couldn't be imagining now because it was more than just an involuntary jerk this time. At first that's all it was but then her hand slid across the table, fingers stretched towards him, but they were rapidly curled back into her palm. As though, even in whatever faraway land her mind was in, she knew she wasn't supposed to touch them. He narrowed his eyes at her hand before looking back up at her. She kept her eyes on his horn with her eyebrows scrunched together and mouth twisted into a frown of her own. He tilted his head and that seemed to break her out of whatever trance she must have been in because she looked down at him. Her eyes went a little wide when she realized she had been caught. He ignored the way her cheeks pinked up.

"Do you... want to touch them?"

"What? No!"

"You do. You keep staring at them."

"I do not!" She protested. "You want me to touch them! It's probably some gross perverted Demon thing!"

Butch grimaced and said, "If either of us is a pervert here it's you! I wasn't even thinking of it like that! That's not even a 'Demon thing'! Aren't you supposed to be an Angel? No wonder you're not in Heaven."

"Shut up!" She ordered. They stared at each other in silence for a second before her eyes slowly but eventually landed back on his horns.

He groaned in annoyance. "Oh for the love of all that is unholy! Just touch them!"

"No."

"Yes."

"I said no! Besides, if they're an illusion then I won't be able to touch them anyway!"

"If you don't try touch them then we'll never find out and you'll just keep staring at them and it's kind of starting to really annoy me so I suggest you just touch them," He advised. When she refused again he yelled, "Touch! Them!"

"Fine!" She begrudgingly agreed, uncrossing her arms. She took in a deep breath and held it as she leaned over the table and reached out to touch him. She hesitated when her fingertips were only an inch away. Buttercup narrowed her eyes at him, "You better not try to stab me."

Butch chuckled. "I won't."

"It's kind of hard to trust a Demon."

"Aw, are you scared? Would it make you feel better if I promised?" He was teasing. It wasn't a serious question but when she looked at him he could see her eyes were silently pleading for him to make that promise and his teasing smile fell when he saw that look on her face. She actually was scared. Butch had terrified people before and seeing the fear in her eyes was nothing new. He'd seen so many humans staring at him with wide, horrified eyes before they would start to frantically search their surroundings for an escape route and tried so hard not to look at him but Buttercup... Her eyes weren't darting away. She held his gaze, asking him to promise.

"Wouldn't I have to give you my soul?"

"That's only if you're the one making the promise, Peanut. Do you want me to promise?" He sincerely asked. They were quiet for a moment as she thought about it. Butch let her think and spent the moment connecting her freckles with imaginary lines to create imaginary constellations. He spent the while she took to decide whether he was trustworthy and if she wanted to take that chance to admire what a lovely job God had done on this Angel.

"Yes." She finally said.

"What?" He looked at her confused.

"Yes," She repeated and added, "I want you to promise."

"I promise I won't stab you, Angel." He felt his lips curl into a small smile before he could stop himself. "Okay?"

"Okay," She breathed. She took in another deep breath, then, without another moment of hesitation, closed the distance between her fingers and his horn by wrapping her hand around it.

"Ow!" Butch flinched and she pulled her hand to her chest. His hand flew up to his horn. He glared at her. "What the fuck was that?!"

"I don't know!"

"What do you mean you don't know? That fucking hurt!"

"I don't know what that was! I thought that was you!"

"Well it wasn't!" He shouted.

Buttercup looked down at her hand and gasped. "You burned me!"

"I did not!"

She turned her hand towards him. She raised her eyebrows at him, daring him to argue with her. "You. Burned. Me!"

"What the fuck?" He muttered when he saw the red mark in the shape of his horn on her palm and fingers.

"I knew I shouldn't have trusted you. You promised you weren't going to hurt me! "

"First of all, I promised not to stab you," He clarified. "Which I didn't! And second of all, I don't know why that happened so you can't blame me. It could have been your fault for all we know."

"Or... maybe... it's neither of our faults," She began, "Maybe we can't touch each other because—"

"Because we're two people on the opposite ends of a spectrum? The virtuous Angel," Butch gestured to her and then to himself, "and the wicked Demon?"

"Right," She nodded in agreement and examined the burn on her hand.

"Does it still hurt?" He wondered. His horn didn't seem to feel like it was burning anymore. There was just a slight tingly feeling where her hand had touched it.

"No. It just feels weird now and the redness is fading away so it should be fine."

"Hmm," He hummed. "Well, at least we know it's not an illusion."

"And now we know if we touch we get burned. Although you should be used to burns. Seeing as how you live in Hell and all."

"Right," He chuckled. There was an awkward pause and to fill the growing silence he quickly asked, "So, why are you here?"


End file.
